Poured from a "bomber" bottle into a balloon glass.Dark brown in color, with a nice sturdy head of frothy tan foam.Aroma-Spices, dark fruit, figs, aniseTaste-Sweetly spiced figs, raisins, plums, anise. Very rich and smooth for strength. A bit on the sweetish side for my taste. A slow sipper. (295 characters)

Great beer! For Me definitely something to reserve for the cold weather. It definitely has a holiday flair to it. My friends took a taste and they said they'd drink it year round. Not a year round beer for me personally but delicious nonetheless. An herbal and licorice flavor is prominent. Cheers (297 characters)

Beautiful look to this , black and very opaque .Beige head about 1/2 inch that settles slowly to good cover with nice lacing on sides of glass. Smells of dark char, licorice, dark fruit, some herbal hops and candi sugar and licorice or allspice ? Tastes rich with malts / sweetness - molasses upfront and then the spicey shows up with licorice- allspice - and some other stuff - 6 spices are added per the notes. I'd rate higher but the licorice is too strong for me. Alcohol is well masked even with warming. Mouthfeel is med heavy with about right carbonation . Creamy feel invites more sipping.Overall this isn't my favorite style. The licorice flavor just overwhelmed the rest though my second bottle a couple weeks later wasn't so overwhelming. Only my third strong dark belgian so experience is limited. Like Delirium Tremens much better. (850 characters)

Appearance: Dark brown color on the edges that sits very dark brown/black in the glass. About a finger of head on the pour but subsides quickly to a thin head which was present while drinking. Low active carbonation in glass while drinking.

Taste: Cinnamon, ginger, and heavy spices dominate the front of this brew. Spices continue to comes in waves on the palate for a long time. Tones on the front linger through the body and slightly yield toward the back end for dough, fruit, soap, and leafy greens.

Mouthfeel: A great combination of soft drinkable tones and surprising complexity.

Overall: I tend to avoid Christmas style beers but this is a very good one. The spiced tones are done well without completely taking over this brew. Outstandingly drinkable especially at 10.5%. (1,000 characters)

In honor of loving memories of a morning in Mechelen. I was stoked to get a 5-year old bottle of this at a very fair price @bottleworks. This is pretty spice forward, particularly clove, ginger, and mint. The body is a little on the light side - fading dark fruit and tempered alcohol. Not at the top of my list of belgian christmas ales, but still a sentimental favorite. (428 characters)

Pours very dark brown almost black, 2.5 fingers width of tan head and a small amount of lacing. Aroma is heavy black licorice, anise , and peppery spice. Taste follows the nose with black licorice, but also has lots of dark fruits, a bit of clove spice and toffee. Mouthfeel is full bodied, heavier carbonation, no hint of ABV and good drinkability. Overall, a great BSD Christmas ale. I really enjoyed this one. (445 characters)

Mild dusting of a head across the surface, dark tan brown, swiftly pulls back to the glass sides, the lacing streaks are quite thin but have some stick to them. Murky dark brown colored liquid with more of a yellow tint than anything else, not a lot of visible effervescence, nothing truly remarkable about how it looks. The nose offers licorice, cola, orange spice, lightly roasted chocolate, fig, date, banana and hint of green apple, pleasing for how it does not overdo the sweetness and stays openly knit and airy, finishes with lingering nutmeg, cinnamon and splash of witch hazel. Medium-bodied, for its relative sweetness and mouth grip it has decent fluidity. Carbonation is light but generally up to the task. Initially tastes like a root beer float. Vanilla, malted milk balls, ginger, licorice, orange citrus, Brazil nuts and butterscotch predominate. The fruit has a darker complexion here with prune and cherry trumping the date and fig, not really showing a lot of esters nor breadiness. Likewise, no boozy “heat” on display although you can feel it once a good portion of the bottle is gone. Gains peppery bite as it warms. Fashions a dry, punctuated finish which helps it marshal an argument for being a good food beer and not just an after dinner sipper. (1,275 characters)

Pours a translucent dark brown with a thick tan head that lingers and laces well. The nose is of dark sweet malt with a hint of dark fruit and chocolate. Medium bodied and well carbonated. This beer is full of flavor that masks the 10% alcohol well. Extremely well balanced. The taste is dark malt, with chocolate undertones, blended with spice and licorice with a very slight alcohol finish. Finishes clean with a burst of dark malt against spice and alcohol. An excellent Christmas Ale. I just did a side by side against St. Bernardus Christmas ale, on 12/4/13. Gouden is far superior in terms of body, complexity and flavor. (627 characters)

Pours pitch black, 2 finger beige head, really sticky.Smells sweet and fruity, of banana, dark fruit, ripe fruit jam, also lots of caramel and traditional spices. This should be tasty, if not overly sweet.Very sweet malts, with truckloads of caramel and chocolate, but there's also a dark roastiness, creating notes of (very sweet) coffee. Doughy yeasts creating a "Christmas cake" kind of taste, but they're also very spicy, with nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, cocoa powder, hints of vanilla, faint licorice, prickly peppercorn and minty notes of anise seed. Fruitiness is lower than expected, but brings dark fruit jam, slightly acidic red apples and some sweet red grapes with a musty characteristic. The herbal spices lead to the hops in the end, mildly bitter, with a nice finish.The mouthfeel is chewy, chunky, sliding down the throat, with a mild carbonation. Alcohol is a bit more than warming, with a faint (very faint) booziness, not ruining the beer though.A nice Christmas ale, not the sweetest of the bunch, but still for people with a sweet tooth. Perfect for the season. (1,083 characters)

Pours a cloudy red color with a very small and non existent head.Aroma is very boozy and full of dark fruit and cherries.Taste is cherries, raisins, prunes, figs, very nice holiday beer.Mouthfeel is really nice, almost creamy.Sweet tasting beer with nice carbonation. (271 characters)

A: Pours a murky reddish brown in color with light to moderate amounts of active visible carbonation visible along the edges of the glass and some amber highlights. The beer has a two finger tall creamy foamy beige head that slowly reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of dark fruit malty sweetness (plum and prunes are most dominant) along with just a hint of spices/anise/licorice.

T: Upfront there is a moderate amount of malty sweetness with stronger flavors of dark fruits (plum and prunes). That is followed by a light to moderate flavor of anise/licorice and Belgian yeast. Light notes of alcohol in the finish as the beer warms up.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with some light notes of alcohol warming in the finish.

O: This is a great beer for the winter/holiday season - perfect for sipping along side the fireplace on a chilly. A very nice representation of the BSDA style, especially since it has strong dark fruit aromas/flavors but without very much sweetness. (1,175 characters)

T- Lots of sweet dark malts, fruit, and some light spiciness, but from the middle through to the finish the flavor is dominated by a huge combination of vinous, anise and boozy flavors. It's simultaneously too sweet and too vinous. Weird. Bad.

M- Medium-bodied, smooth feel, the booziness isn't quite as noticeable here and is only a bit warm.

O- This was pretty bad. The anise, sweetness and vinous flavors are all in the wrong proportions, and produce a beer that doesn't fit together and isn't fun to drink. Pass. (820 characters)

Pours very dark brown, some maroon hints and a layer of foam. Chocolate cherry nose, and other assorted fruits. Cola too. Sweet belgian candi sugar taste but balanced well. Earthy hop close - not in a bitter sense, but in a flavored one. A bit boozy. Rich. (311 characters)

Poured from a 330-ml bottle into a tulip glass in high elevation Libby, Mont. Reviewed live. Expectations are relatively high. Either bottled date or best-by date is Jan. 8, 2012. I really hope it is the former and not the latter. Although with the high ABV, I imagine it wouldn't be ruined by a year anyway. I could be wrong.

Pouring a very dark brown, black almost, with reddish brown highlights, this beer is capped with a dense, light brown head with excellent retention and very nice lacing. The nose is a spice bomb. A blend of mace, nutmeg and anise, with some eucalyptus, cola, mildly burnt sugar, this is a little too spiced for my liking. The cola notes here bring to mind discount sodas. Alcohol is reasonably well hidden. In addition, there's quite a bit of dark fruit present, with prunes and figs. (484 characters)

First off, let me say that the cork is a nice touch. It pours a deep, beautiful, transparent Mahogony with a tan head. The head begins to recede, but never really dissapears. The lacing is exquisite. It holds for a second or two and then forms rivers and trubutaries through itself that all eventually lead to the sea of delectable belgian ale that lies below. The aroma carries warming notes of anise, dark fruit, yeast, and alcohol. The palate is very much like a nice glass of cabernet. It is a bit tart up front but then it rounds off nicely with rich notes of bread and anise. The anise carries over into the finish and joins yeast in a wonderful union of flavor. The carbonation is a little heavy, but its full mouthfeel counteracts it. It leaves a slight tackiness on the lips from it higher than average gravity. I usually frown upon this and I think that it is the downfall of many winter brew's, but somehow this beer makes it work. This beer forced a smile across my face from sheer joy. (998 characters)

11.2oz. bottle served in my Gouden Carolus chalice. Lot number 12071 indicated on the back label. Pours a dull mahogany hue with a consistent, 1.5 inch, light tan head the sizzles and pops as it slowly recedes into a clumpy quarter inch cap. Nose suggests dark fruit, anise and orange Aspergum. Tastes pretty much like it smells - no real surprises here. There's also a slightly oxidized quality that comes out towards the finish. Mouthfeel is light-medium (but closer to light) with an even carbonation that falls just shy of being lively. There's also just a kiss of residual heat that lingers between quaffs as well as a slight acidity. Overall, not a bad example of the style, but not my favorite from this brewer. Not sure what a little age might do to this, but it might be worth laying down a bottle for a year or two. (825 characters)

Appearance – Pours a chestnut/mahogany color with a two finger tan colored head. The head has a good level of retention slowly fading over time to leave a great level of lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma has a big spicy and roasty aroma. There is a strong roasted bready aroma mixed with notes of Christmas spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, anise and licorice). These stronger aromas are accompanied by notes of dark fruits, a lighter yeasty smell as well as a moderate presence of a boozy smell.

Taste – The taste starts with flavors a blend of roasted malt breadiness and some dark fruit flavors of raisin and prune. Spice flavors of nutmeg, licorice and anise then come to the tongue. At this point the tastes create a rather smooth flavor on the tongue. The breadiness and sweeter flavors of the dark fruits start to fade. A more red wine like flavor then starts coming to the tongue. It starts out light and smooth, but gets more tannin like in flavor as the taste moves to the end. At the end, the boozy taste is quite strong and with all the flavors it leaves a nice warming aftertaste that tasted somewhat like a mix of warming spiced mulled wine fruity brew to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is on the medium side in its creaminess for a brew of 10.5 % with a carbonation level that was a little on the higher side. for the style it was rather nice creating a good drinkability but yet keeping one in check of its strength.

Overall- This is a rather nice Belgian Christmas brew. It has a decent boozy flavor, but yet is still very flavorful and pleasant to drink. (1,650 characters)

750ml bottle poured into my Pumking chalice. Dark brown in color with a thin, sticky head to it. Really nice lacing as I drank it.

The aroma has a big dark fruit presence to it with notes of plum, fig and raisin all present. I get some notes of clove and anise to it as well. The spices are nicely balanced with the malty flavors. Nice aroma for a holiday spiced beer.

The taste follows up with some very rich and sweet dark fruit flavors. Fig and plum seem to lead the way. The spices are a little more reserved but I do get more of the clove and anise towards the finish. Enough bitterness comes out in the finish to keep the sweet dark fruits from becoming cloyingly sweet. It comes together very well and again the spices are nicely balanced with the malt flavors.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side with carbonation being about average for the style. Overall, I thought it was a very good holiday spiced beer. They didn't go overboard on the spices, which I appreciate. The dark fruit flavors were also particularly nice in it. It came together very well and is one of the better holiday spiced beers I've had in a while. (1,133 characters)

T: Follows the nose. For me the licorice is pretty dominant when the beer is cold. If you like that, pop and drink this pretty cold. If anise / licorice is not your thing , open it and let it warm for 20 minutes, a totally different beer. Nice dark fruits , bourbon / rum notes, vanilla, spice, and a little peppery on the finish, which is nice. You might almost guess that this was aged in bourbon barrels or similar. Nice complex warming booziness, without burning.

MF: Quite nice and silky, with a medium to heavy body but balanced by solid carbonation which helps to spread the flavors out.

Oh man, I am excited for this one! This season I decided to try every Christmas beer that came out. I started at Total Wine & More and made my way through the list. I also attended a winter beer class at the Scottsdale location, and this beer was on the list. Nearly every seasonal beer I tried was boring, and didn’t live up to my expectations. Not sure what my expectations were, but nothing like what I was tasting. Then I tried this one… and my mind was blown! I was SO impressed with the flavor in this beer. It is sweet, loaded with booze, and has a LONG lingering aftertaste. Everything about this beer is enjoyable. The only thing I have had recently that comes close is the Terrible from Unibroue. Guess this is why I like Belgian beers!

I hope Total Wine & More lowers the price on these before they are gone. I would love to have one of these sitting in the cellar. Let’s start drinking. I can’t sit here and smell this any longer! Bottoms up, people.

In the Glass: I don’t even want to drink this. It looks GREAT in the glass. The head has been sitting there for a good five minutes. I could literally take a spoon to it… it’s that thick! The tasting notes mention red… but there isn’t any red here. It’s black. Coffee black. Hence the style, I guess! This looks nice and thick sitting there, and just begs for me to smell it! Let’s see what she smells like.

Nose: The nose is insanely fruity. I am getting a ton of raisins right off the bat. On a second whiff, I am picking up additional dark fruit notes… think plums and apricots. The beer looks great. Now it smells incredible. I can’t imagine what this will taste like. Like I said, I had this in a beer class a few weeks ago. I am sure a few months in the bottle and my attention to detail here will help me enjoy this beer even more. Let’s drink!

(Oh, I forgot to mention the lace. When I swirl this, the head just sticks to the side of the glass. It’s like glue. PERFECT lace.)

Flavor: Holy crap. This is just as good as I remember. The raisin flavor kicks things off, and your mouth just journeys through several dark fruit flavors including those same notes I was grabbing in the nose. You would never know this is 10.5% ABV. The mouthfeel is also nice, but we will get to that. I am just so impressed with the flavor. I can close my eyes and imagine myself by a fire just enjoying good conversation and good food. I wouldn’t even know where to begin pairing this with food. From meets and cheeses to breads and salads, this is a beer best served with a meal. Such a great flavor!

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel here is incredible. It is thick, almost like syrup… but drinks and goes down nice. The burp is also amazing. Those same flavors I was talking about come rushing back, and while a burp is not an enjoyable experience, you will want to burp to this one! The mouthfeel also gets smooth as this beer heats up. The flavors change, and the overall beer drinking experience changes.

Aftertaste: This might be the most impressive aftertaste I have had to date. It is not overwhelming, but there is a subtle sweetness that just sits on your palate for a while. As the beer slides down your throat, the fruity flavors turn dry, and the sweetness kicks in. Every time I swallow the flavor profile changes just a little, and I have a hard time going back for another sip!

The beer manager at Total Wine & More loves Belgian beers. He likes this one and the Gouden Carolus Easter. This is better than the Easter offering. But they are both good beers. We drank this one cold, but it has been sitting out for a good thirty minutes. If you have the chance to try this, get two. Throw one in the cellar for a few years… because this beer will only mellow out with time. Hands down the best Christmas offering of 2012. Can’t wait to try this again next year!!! (3,865 characters)